Saskatchewan Liberal Party

Infobox_Canada_Political_Party
party_name = Saskatchewan Liberal Party
party_wikicolourid = Liberal
status = active
class = prov
party_
leader = Frank Proto (interim)
president = Frank Proto
foundation = 1905
dissolution =
ideology = Liberalism
headquarters =845A McDonald Street
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4N 2X5
int_alignment= None
colours = Red
seats_house = 0
website = [http://saskliberal.ca/ http://saskliberal.ca/] The Saskatchewan Liberal Party is a political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

Early history (to 1944)

The party dominated Saskatchewan politics for the province's first forty years providing six of the first seven premiers, and being in power for all but five of the years between the province's creation in 1905 and World War II. Located on the middle of the political spectrum, it assiduously courted "ethnic" (i.e., non-British) voters, as well as the organized farm movement, and refused to pander to "nativist" sentiment that culminated in the short, spectacular existence of the Ku Klux Klan in Saskatchewan in 1927-28.

Varying fortunes (1944-1978)

In the 1944 election, however, Saskatchewan experienced a dramatic change when it elected the first socialist government in North America under Tommy Douglas and the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation. The Liberals moved to the political right and remained out of power for twenty years until Ross Thatcher's victory in 1964 election. Thatcher led the Liberals to re-election in 1967.

After the defeat of the Liberals in the 1971 election at the hands of the CCF's successor, the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party, the party remained the principal opposition party in the province until the 1978 election, when the party was wiped out and replaced by the Progressive Conservatives.

Recent history

The Liberals came under the leadership of future Lieutenant Governor Lynda Haverstock in 1989. The Liberals were only able to take limited advantage of the collapse of Grant Devine's scandal and deficit-ridden Conservative government in the 1991 election, but Haverstock was able to win her Saskatoon seat.

In the 1995 election, the Liberals displaced the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan to become the Official Opposition to the re-elected New Democrat government of Roy Romanow. Dissatisfaction within the Liberal caucus saw the resignation of Lynda Haverstock as party leader. The

In 1997, four Liberal Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) joined forces with four members of the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to form the Saskatchewan Party. [ [http://www.cbc.ca/saskvotes2003/features/feature4.html CBC - Saskatchewan Votes 2003 ] ] On November 24, 1996, the Saskatchewatchewan Liberal party elected Jim Melenchuk on the third ballot as party leader.

The 1999 election reduced the Liberals, then led by Jim Melenchuk, to only four seats and third party status in the legislature. The fourth seat, Wood River later had its election results were overturned and a by-election was held and won by Yogi Huyghebaert the Saskatchewan Party candidate. The New Democrats, however, had only won a minority of seats and persuaded three Liberals to form a coalition government with the New Democrats. Two Liberals, Jim Melenchuk and Jack Hillson were then appointed to positions in the Cabinet and the third Ron Osika was elected Speaker of the Legislature. Rank-and-file members of the Liberal party were against the coalition government and called for a leadership convention. On October 27, 2001 Saskatchewan Liberals elected businessman David Karwacki as the new leader after defeating MLA Jack Hillson who had initially joined the coalition, but later withdrew. Karwacki soon ordered the other two Liberal MLAs, Melenchuk and Ron Osika to leave the coalition. They refused and sat as independent Members of the Legislative Assembly and continued in the coalition.

The internal party feud hurt Liberal fortunes, as did a polarized electorate, and a poorly run election campaign which saw the party shut out of the legislature in the 2003 election. It was the first time in over 20 years in which the Liberal Party was unable to win a single seat. In the 2007 election the Saskatchewan Liberal Party was once again shut out of the Legislature. [ [http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/features/electionsaskatchewan/www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/story.html?id=50f499a7-c741-4b9f-a2c0-60d5e34250ab Experts say it's time for a change ] ] Karawacki resigned as Liberal leader one month later.

The Saskatchewan Liberal leadership convention will be held in Regina on November 14th and 15th, 2008 to elect a new party leader. [ [http://saskliberal.ca/?p=home&id=210 Saskatchewan Liberal Party Announces Date for Leadership Convention] ]

Party Leaders

*Walter Scott (August 16, 1905-October 1916)
*William M. Martin (October 20, 1916-April 5, 1922)
*Charles A. Dunning (April 5, 1922-February 26, 1926)
*James G. Gardiner (February 26, 1926-October 31, 1935)
*William John Patterson (October 31, 1935-August 6, 1946)
*Walter Tucker (August 6, 1946-1954)
*Alexander H. McDonald (November 26, 1954-September 24, 1959)
*Ross Thatcher (September 24, 1959-1971)
*David Steuart (December 11, 1971-1976)
*Ted Malone (December 11, 1976-1981)
*Ralph Goodale (June 13, 1981-late 1988)
*Lynda Haverstock (April 2, 1989-November 12, 1995)
*Ron Osika (1996) (Interim)
*Jim Melenchuk (November 24, 1996-2001)
*David Karwacki (October 27, 2001-December 21, 2007)
*Frank Proto (since December 21, 2007) (interim)

ee also

*Saskatchewan Liberal Party leadership conventions
*List of Saskatchewan political parties
*Politics of Saskatchewan

References

External links

* [http://saskliberal.ca/ Saskatchewan Liberals]
* [http://saskyoungliberals.ca/ Saskatchewan Young Liberals]